Chap. 68.] THE ASS. 303 



not sure whether this did not exceed the price ever given 

 for any other animal. It is certainly a species of animal sin- 

 gularly useful for labour and ploughing, 61 but more especially 

 for the production of mules. 62 In these animals also, the 

 country in which they are*born is taken into consideration; 

 in Greece, those from Arcadia 63 are the most valued ; and in 

 Italy, those of Beate. 64 The ass is an animal which is unable 

 to endure cold, 65 for which reason it is that it is never produced 

 in Pontus ; nor is it allowed to cover at the vernal equinox, like 

 other cattle, but at the summer solstice. The males are less 

 proper for covering, when out of work. The earliest age at 

 w r hich the females are ever capable of bearing is the thirtieth 

 month, but the usual time begins at the age of three years. 

 The number to which it gives birth is the same as the mare, 

 which it also resembles, in the length of its gestation, and in 

 its mode of bringing forth ; but the female will discharge the 

 generative fluid from the womb, being unable to retain it, 

 unless by blows she is forced to run immediately after 

 being covered. They seldom bring forth two at one birth. 6 * 

 When the she- ass is about to bring forth, she shuns the 

 light and seeks darkness, in order to escape the observation 

 of man. Asses are capable of 'breeding throughout the 

 whole of their life, which extends to thirty years. Their 

 attachment to their young is great in the extreme, but their 

 aversion to water is still greater. They will pass through fire to 

 get at their foals, while the very same animal, if the small- 

 sums of money mentioned by the ancients. "We read in Varro, B. ii. c. 1, 

 and B. ii. c. 8, of enormous prices said to have heen given for asses, and 

 the particular case of Axius is mentioned, B. iii. c. 2 ; according to the 

 usual estimate, the sum here mentioned amounts to upwards of 3200 

 sterling, B. 



61 See B. xvii. c. 5. 



62 Varro, B. i. c. 20, and B. iii. c. 16, and Columella, B. vii. c. 1, en- 

 large upon the valuable qualities of the ass for agricultural purposes ; Co- 

 lumella, B. vi. c. 37, treats at length upon the production of mules. B. 



63 See a passage in Plautus, in which the superior excellence of the asses 

 of Arcadia is referred to ; Asinaria, A. ii. sc. 2, 1. 67. B. 



** See B. iii. c. 17. 



65 This property is mentioned by Herodotus, B. iv. c. 28, and by Aristotle, 

 Hist. Anim. B. viii. c. 27, also De Gener. Aniin. B. ii.c. 8, and by Strabo, 

 H. vii. The ass is a native of Arabia, and degenerates when brought into 

 a cold climate. B. 



66 These circumstances appear to have been taken from Aristotle, Hist. 

 Anim. B. v. c. 14, and B. vi. c. 23. B. 



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